Bill Summary
The **21st Century Entrepreneurship Act** aims to promote entrepreneurship education among disadvantaged youth in the United States. Recognizing the decline in entrepreneurship rates and the underrepresentation of children from disadvantaged communities in entrepreneurial activities, the Act directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop a curriculum focused on entrepreneurship and inventorship for students from underserved backgrounds.
Key provisions include:
1. **Curriculum Development**: The SBA will create a curriculum for volunteers from the SCORE program to teach entrepreneurship to female students, minority students, English learners, children with disabilities, and low-income students through community learning centers.
2. **Partnerships**: The SBA is encouraged to facilitate partnerships between the SCORE program and community learning centers to implement the curriculum effectively.
3. **Collaboration**: SCORE volunteers are encouraged to collaborate with various entrepreneurial development programs and organizations to enhance the educational experience.
4. **Reporting Requirements**: The SBA must report on the progress of these initiatives every two years, including information on partnerships, funding usage, student reach, and barriers faced.
5. **Funding**: The Act authorizes $2.5 million annually from fiscal years 2026 to 2030 for its implementation.
Overall, this legislation seeks to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs, particularly from historically underrepresented groups, to foster economic growth and community development.
Possible Impacts
The "21st Century Entrepreneurship Act" could affect people in several ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Increased Access to Entrepreneurship Education**: The legislation mandates the development of a curriculum focused on entrepreneurship and inventorship for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This could empower children who may not have had access to such education previously, fostering skills like creativity, problem-solving, and business acumen. As these students learn about entrepreneurship, they may become more inspired to pursue entrepreneurial ventures in the future, potentially leading to new job creation and economic growth.
2. **Mentorship Opportunities**: By encouraging volunteer mentors from the SCORE program to engage with students in community learning centers, the legislation provides opportunities for mentorship. This could have a profound impact on students, as having a mentor can help guide them in their entrepreneurial journeys, provide valuable networking opportunities, and offer real-world insights that can enhance their learning experience. Such mentorship may also increase students' confidence in pursuing entrepreneurial paths.
3. **Collaboration with Existing Programs**: The Act encourages partnerships between the SCORE program and various entrepreneurial development programs, such as small business development centers and women's business centers. This collaborative approach could enhance the resources available to students and create a supportive ecosystem for aspiring young entrepreneurs. As a result, communities may experience economic revitalization as more youth become engaged in entrepreneurship, leading to increased innovation and local job creation.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4133 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4133
To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to
encourage entrepreneurship training in after school programs, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 18, 2026
Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to
encourage entrepreneurship training in after school programs, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century Entrepreneurship Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) entrepreneurship creates new jobs, grows the economy,
increases productivity, and significantly improves the quality
of life of the people of the United States;
(2) entrepreneurship rates in the United States have
declined substantially over the last several decades;
(3) children from disadvantaged communities are less likely
to become entrepreneurs and inventors, hampering economic
growth and harming communities most in need;
(4) studies show that children with mentors in
entrepreneurship and inventorship are more likely to pursue
these fields in adulthood; and
(5) in order to promote growth in disadvantaged
communities, increase entrepreneurship rates, and improve the
economy, volunteer mentors with the SCORE program should be
encouraged to engage with children in community learning
centers.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administration; administrator.--The terms
``Administration'' and ``Administrator'' mean the Small
Business Administration and the Administrator thereof,
respectively.
(2) Community learning center.--The term ``community
learning center'' has the meaning given the term in section
4201(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7171(b)).
(3) Inventorship.--The term ``inventorship'' means the
activity of creating, designing, or otherwise originating a new
product or service.
(4) SCORE program.--The term ``SCORE program'' means the
Service Corps of Retired Executives described in section
8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)).
(5) Small business development center.--The term ``small
business development center'' has the meaning given the term in
section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
SEC. 4. ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTH.
(a) In General.--The Administrator shall--
(1) develop a curriculum for volunteers with the SCORE
program to teach female students, minority students, English
learners, children with disabilities, students from rural
areas, and low-income students who are often underrepresented
in critical and enriching subjects about entrepreneurship and
inventorship through community learning centers;
(2) develop and implement a strategy to encourage
partnerships between the SCORE program and community learning
centers to teach the curriculum developed under paragraph (1)
to the students described in that paragraph through community
learning centers; and
(3) in developing the curriculum required under paragraph
(1), collaborate with education specialists, entrepreneurship
groups, business groups, and groups with experience serving
underrepresented children.
(b) Collaboration With Other Programs.--In carrying out the
partnerships under subsection (a)(2), volunteers with the SCORE program
are encouraged to collaborate with other entrepreneurial development
programs of the Administration and other agencies, including--
(1) small business development centers;
(2) women's business centers operating under section 29 of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656);
(3) centers overseen by the Minority Business Development
Agency of the Department of Commerce; and
(4) the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition of the
Administration carried out under section 24 of the Stevenson-
Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719).
(c) SCORE Program.--Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)) is amended, in the first sentence, by
inserting before the period at the end the following: ``and to carry
out entrepreneurship and inventorship programs under section 4(a) of
the 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act''.
(d) Community Learning Centers.--Part B of title IV of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171 et seq.)
is amended--
(1) in section 4201(a)(2) (20 U.S.C. 7171(a)(2)), by
inserting ``entrepreneurship and inventorship (as defined in
section 3 of the 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act) programs,''
after ``apprenticeship programs,''; and
(2) in section 4205(a) (20 U.S.C. 7175(a))--
(A) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(15) entrepreneurship and inventorship programs described
in section 4(a) of the 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act.''.
(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator shall submit
to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate
and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a
report that--
(1) identifies each partnership between the SCORE program
and a community learning center during the preceding 2-year
period;
(2) documents the use of funds by the SCORE program, and
adherence by the SCORE program to contract award and
procurement procedures, relating to the implementation of this
Act;
(3) documents any training or guidance provided to SCORE
program chapter leadership on properly using funds provided to
carry out this Act;
(4) estimates the number of students who were reached
through the entrepreneurship curriculum developed under
subsection (a);
(5) identifies any barriers to reaching additional
students; and
(6) identifies any plans for improving the curriculum or
implementing the strategy developed under subsection (a).
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Administrator $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026
through 2030 to carry out this Act and the amendments made by
this Act.
(2) Transfer of funds.--Of amounts made available to the
Administrator to carry out this Act and the amendments made by
this Act, the Administrator may transfer any portion of those
amounts to the SCORE program to carry out such provisions.
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